Certain physical conditions or ailments, such as diabetes or allergies, require regular applications of medication. In addition, certain counteractive agents may be required to be available should emergency situations arise. For example, a person who is allergic to wasp stings should have access to medication in case of a wasp sting. In addition, regular and repeated applications of medication may be required, either taken orally or through injection. Many persons with diabetes take insulin by injection to control blood sugar level. Other physical conditions may also require the repeated application or availability of medication either on a life long or temporary basis.
Many medications, however, are subject to rapid degradation of properties as a result of temperature and other environmental conditions. Other medications may be sensitive to light and still others may be sensitive to a combination of light and temperature. Further, many types of medication, particularly those taken by injection, are stored in glass bottles or vials which are subject to breakage if dropped or otherwise traumatized.
As a result, the mobility of those people requiring a constant availability of medication is severely restricted. For example, for one allergic to insect bites, medication must be administered within minutes and sometimes seconds after an insect bite to prevent severe complications, or even death. Likewise, a diabetic must remain near a source of insulin to receive regular injections or an emergency injection should blood sugar level dictate. Therefore, it is desired to provide a means of storing medication such as wasp sting syrum and insulin along with means for administering it in a protective carrying case so that people who require medication may travel about with a supply of such medication.
However, insulin for example, like many other medications, must be kept cold, preferably at approximately 35° Fahrenheit, to maintain its effectiveness. Therefore, people who wish to travel about in warm temperatures require some means of transporting insulin in a temperature controlled environment to maintain it at a desired temperature.
In addition, insulin manufacturers warn against freezing insulin. Therefore, it is desired to provide a way to transport insulin in cold weather that prevents it from reaching the freezing point. Thus, a portable medicine protector is desired to keep cool temperatures in and cold temperatures out.
The prior art evidences a substantially number of efforts to provide a portable medicine protector for insulin and other medicines. U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,515 is directed to medicine chests or kits and has particular reference to portable kits containing a temporary supply of insulin and hypodermic injection equipment for use by diabetics while traveling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,998 is directed to a diabetic travel kit formed by an insulated container having a cavity in which is received a cooling medium container having an annular cooling medium chamber surrounding a top opening compartment. An insulated lid closes the cavity. Top opening pockets may be formed in the peripheral walls of the insulated container, and the lid closes the pockets when the lid is in place closing the cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,158 is directed to a portable, flexible, refrigerating pouch for carrying and storing insulin needed by diabetics to prevent it from deterioration is disclosed. The pouch comprises an insulating layer and a liner whose structure provides separate compartments for a refrigerating agent, a vial of insulin and a syringe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,133 is directed to a temperature-controlled chamber comprises a portable, insulated housing with an internal cavity shaped to receive a container of temperature-sensitive material therein. A thermoelectric element, or heat pump, has one face in heat-transfer relation with the housing cavity, and the other face connected with a heat exchanger having an exterior portion exposed to the atmosphere. A source of electric power is coupled to the thermoelectric element through a thermostat control which energizes the thermoelectric element in response to temperature fluctuations in the housing cavity. The thermostat control includes switching means to reverse the polarity of the power supplied to the thermoelectric element as a function of whether the sensed temperature in the housing cavity is too high or too low, to alternatively heat or cool the housing cavity as required to maintain the cavity at a generally constant temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,793 is directed to a diabetic traveling case is compact enough to be pocket-sized. The pocket-sized case is equipped to carry at least one bottle of insulin, as well as a refrigerant which maintains the insulin at a suitably low temperature to avoid spoiling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,364 is directed to a portable medicine protector for maintaining the temperature of medicine stored therein from rising above a threshold temperature and for preventing the temperature of medicine stored therein from falling below a second threshold temperature consisting of a hollow walled container having a cavity formed therein. The container is filled with a suitable liquid which may be frozen in an ordinary household freezer environment. A depression or cavity is formed in the container for receiving medicine, such as bottles of liquid medicine. The bottom and sides of the cavity include a plurality of ribbed members to prevent direct contact between a medicine bottle and the side walls of the container. By preventing point contact of the medicine with the side walls of the container, freezing of the medicine is inhibited and in most cases prevented. An outer casing consists of a sleeve of insulating material which may be a pliable foam. The container is inserted into the case, with the case providing additional temperature protection and protection from shock and other trauma. Pockets or other storage areas may be included on the outside of the case for storing accessories, such as syringes, alcohol wipes and swabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,223 is directed to a personal manually portable thermoelectric-cooling medicine kit, particularly for insulin. The medicine in the kit is cooled by a Peltier heat pump. The vials of medicine inside the kit are tilted to maximize heat transfer efficiency when the kit is either upright or laid flat. A cap is provided to shield an insulin vial from ultraviolet radiation while the case is open and the person is preparing for an injection. The kit includes components which are Velcro-attached to the lining of the kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,032 is directed to a personal manually portable thermoelectric-cooling medicine kit, particularly for insulin. The medicine in the kit is cooled by a Peltier heat pump. The vials of medicine inside the kit are tilted to maximize heat transfer efficiency when the kit is either upright or laid flat. A cap is provided to shield an insulin vial from ultraviolet radiation while the case is open and the person is preparing for an injection. The kit includes components which are Velcro-attached to the lining of the kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,314 is directed to an injectable medication carrying case which includes a top panel, a bottom panel opposing the top panel, two opposing side panels, two opposing end panels, and a thermally-insulating divider panel. The top panel, bottom panel, side panels and end panels can be joined together in standard fashion at respective edges of the carrying case. The divider panel partitions the body portion of the case into two distinct thermally-insulated sides. In this arrangement, the patient is able to selectively store his injectable medication supplies in a unitary carrying case, as opposed to a plurality of carrying cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,968 is directed to a portable cold pack for cold storage and transporting of medicinal vials placed on a holder. The cold pack has a hollow, thin-walled housing and a base having a socket depression therein for receiving the holder. The housing and the base define an interior storage space around the holder. The hollow walls of the housing contain therein refreezable liquid for providing cooling energy. The socket depression orients the holder in the storage space in a close relationship to the interior surface of the hollow, thin-walled housing so as to efficiently cool the medicine within the vials. A closure assembly allows repeated access to the holder within the storage space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,099 is directed to a container for storing and transporting vessels containing a composition susceptible to physicochemical alteration upon changes in temperature above or below a specified temperature range. The container includes a first housing having a vessel holder, and a heat sink disposed within the first housing. A second housing encloses the first housing, the second housing preferably includes a metallic material and is of a double-walled construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,133 is directed to a temperature control medicine carrying case having an insulated housing, a plurality of interior compartments, an interior pouch, a cooling mechanism and a fastening mechanism, e.g., a zipper closure. The interior surface of the insulated housing includes two separate portions that are separated along a central axis. The interior pouch is located on a first portion of the interior surface of the insulated housing. The interior pouch is adapted to receive the cooling mechanism. At least one of the interior compartments is located on the exterior surface of the interior pouch and is adapted to receive a container of medicine. A plurality of interior compartments is located on the second portion of the interior surface. These compartments are adapted to receive medical devices that are used for administration of the medicine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,570 is directed to a traveling bag for carrying temperature-sensitive medications such as insulin which includes a sensor monitoring the interior temperature and an exterior display showing the measured temperature. In one embodiment the bag interior includes a compartment for storing medication, an assembly for securely holding three insulin pens, and a compartment for holding a container of freezing material. A second embodiment of the bag omits the freezing material compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,814 is directed to a portable insulin and accessory kit for diabetics that is a case made of polymeric or waterproof material having an inside portion divided in three equal sections, each section securing and storing insulin and accessories such as an insulin pen or syringe, alcohol cloths or similar accessories for sterilization and a supply of additional needles. The kit is foldable and provides hook and loop fasteners for a secure closure. In addition, a polymeric, portable insulin storage box is provided having a hingedly attached cover attached to a bottom portion having divided sections for the storage of insulin and accessories such as an insulin pen or syringe, alcohol cloths or similar accessories for sterilization and a supply of additional needles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,650 is directed to a container for storing and transporting vessels containing a liquid composition susceptible to physico-chemical alteration upon changes in temperature above or below a specified temperature. It comprises an enclosure having a lower portion, a top portion and a side portion between the lower and top portions thereby defining an inner space. A lower portion of the enclosure contains a first heat sink within a base, comprising a thermal energy absorbing substance. A vial holder in the inner space holds one or more of the vessels in the inner space above the first heat sink and substantially spaced from an insulated insert inside of the enclosure. An insulating gas is contained in the inner space. A temperature indicator in the inner space indicates when the inner space has been subjected to temperatures below a predetermined level.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0016895 is directed to a travel case for transporting insulin is provided with an outer bottle with an outer bottle cap, an inner bottle with an inner bottle cap, fins, and a means to thermally insulate the outer bottle. The inner bottle is located within the outer bottle. The fins are attached to and protrude radially from the inner bottle, thus acting to keep the inner bottle centrally located within and relative to the outer bottle, as well as to keep the inner bottle in a substantially upright position within the outer bottle. The inner bottle is adapted to receive one or more bottles of insulin. In use, ice is added to the outer bottle between the fins, the ice acting as a heat sink to keep the insulin bottles cold within the inner bottle.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0081558 is directed to a portable container including: a box member, a Stirling cooler as a temperature controlling unit for refrigerating the inside of the box member, an operation unit for controlling the Stirling cooler, and handles for supporting the box member by grasping. Cutouts are formed between an upper surface of the box member and both side surfaces thereof, the operation unit is provided on one of the cutouts, and the handles are provided outwardly relative to the cutouts respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,513 is directed to a portable thermally-controlled container system includes an outer case providing a first inner chamber and configured to have an open position and a closed position, when in the open position the outer case is configured to receive items into the first inner chamber and when in the closed position the outer case is configured to inhibit heat transfer between the first inner chamber and a region external to the outer case, and an inner case configured to fit in the chamber provided by the outer case, the inner case including a first thermally-reflective layer and a first insulation layer disposed inwardly of the first thermally-reflective layer, the inner case providing a second inner chamber disposed inwardly of the first insulation layer.
In general, the particular portable medicine coolers described above are substantially limited in terms of the length of time they can cool, the accuracy and sophistication with which they can monitor, control and report temperature and by extension indicate potential issues with medicinal efficacy, their portability or their flexibility. What is needed in the art is a superior portable medicine cooler and an accompanying method of operating such a cooler.